Beautiful blue skies, but confused seas
Southern Indian Ocean
Email from the boat to shore:
From: OmanTri
Date: 04/03/2009 03:50:44
Date: Wed, 4 Mar 2009 03:50:58 -0000
To: update
Subject: Wednesday morning
So this is ground hog day for sure.
we have so very similar conditions to yesterday that it could be yesterday
for sure!
the wind is a little more left, but the sea is increased a little, the nett
effect is the same, we are bouncing along in an easterly diretion waitng
for a rather large change in wind direction – which will be during
Thursday….It’ll be all change thursday – change in wind direction, and
change of heading for us – the sun rise will be to our stbd side rather than
on our bows, and we’ll be aiming some where near the direction of Muscat!
The last few days have felt long. We had a respite yesterday afternoon
where for a while the wind and waves dropped a little, but by dusk the wind
was increased, and now dawn again the sea state is quite a bit rougher with
swell coming from the N giving us quite a bit of heel at certain points on
the wave. The skies for now are fairly clear, but there is some clound ahead
and the winds are likely to increase as forecast throughout today (
currently 26-30kts ) before the shift, so we expect it to get worse before
it gets better.
Life onboard has been more about living than anything else, getting sleep
when conditions allow, and generally keeping the show on the road. routine
checks around the boat – removing some water from the back compartment.
Every now and then the mainsheet traveller needs an ease, and then a sheet
in again, but that’s about all. Hooch got nailed by a big wave during the
night – he was without wet weather gear jacket, and just nipped out to ease
the traveller when a huge one rolled up the port bow, over the coachroof
and into the cockpit – drenched him. There was a series of expletives before
he appeared in the companionway, being quick he managed go get his wet top
layer off before it got anything else wet, and his good humour returned.
You have to be fairly tollorent of incidents like that – if you are not then
it drags everyone down. We are lucky that hooch is a permemently happy
chappy ( except if he doesn’t get worken up to his liking…. but even then
the darkness doesn’t last to long)
Waiting on standby in the hatch isn’t such a nice job, if you wait in your
full wet weather gear you end up damp, so the risk is wait, ready to put
jacket on, and hope that nothing is too urgent that you’ll be able to get
your top on before doing what’s needed. Of course if it’s super urgent you
just get on with it – in what ever you happen to be wearing – thermals,
midlayers etc. but it’s important to avoid getting wet – as once wet with
salt water nothing dries properly.
Most of us are doing well on the clothing front – we all still have good
reserves for the final part of the trip, should mean we arrive back in
muscat in reasonanly clean clothes ( all things are relaitive) and I hope to
have had a tropical shower shower, as i am sure we all smell a little bit
fruity by now. You know this because when you use the washing up liquid is
smells super fresh !
anyway another 24-36 hours of thsi then we’ll have some downwind fun.
Date: 04/03/2009 03:50:44
Date: Wed, 4 Mar 2009 03:50:58 -0000
To: update
Subject: Wednesday morning
So this is ground hog day for sure.
we have so very similar conditions to yesterday that it could be yesterday
for sure!
the wind is a little more left, but the sea is increased a little, the nett
effect is the same, we are bouncing along in an easterly diretion waitng
for a rather large change in wind direction – which will be during
Thursday….It’ll be all change thursday – change in wind direction, and
change of heading for us – the sun rise will be to our stbd side rather than
on our bows, and we’ll be aiming some where near the direction of Muscat!
The last few days have felt long. We had a respite yesterday afternoon
where for a while the wind and waves dropped a little, but by dusk the wind
was increased, and now dawn again the sea state is quite a bit rougher with
swell coming from the N giving us quite a bit of heel at certain points on
the wave. The skies for now are fairly clear, but there is some clound ahead
and the winds are likely to increase as forecast throughout today (
currently 26-30kts ) before the shift, so we expect it to get worse before
it gets better.
Life onboard has been more about living than anything else, getting sleep
when conditions allow, and generally keeping the show on the road. routine
checks around the boat – removing some water from the back compartment.
Every now and then the mainsheet traveller needs an ease, and then a sheet
in again, but that’s about all. Hooch got nailed by a big wave during the
night – he was without wet weather gear jacket, and just nipped out to ease
the traveller when a huge one rolled up the port bow, over the coachroof
and into the cockpit – drenched him. There was a series of expletives before
he appeared in the companionway, being quick he managed go get his wet top
layer off before it got anything else wet, and his good humour returned.
You have to be fairly tollorent of incidents like that – if you are not then
it drags everyone down. We are lucky that hooch is a permemently happy
chappy ( except if he doesn’t get worken up to his liking…. but even then
the darkness doesn’t last to long)
Waiting on standby in the hatch isn’t such a nice job, if you wait in your
full wet weather gear you end up damp, so the risk is wait, ready to put
jacket on, and hope that nothing is too urgent that you’ll be able to get
your top on before doing what’s needed. Of course if it’s super urgent you
just get on with it – in what ever you happen to be wearing – thermals,
midlayers etc. but it’s important to avoid getting wet – as once wet with
salt water nothing dries properly.
Most of us are doing well on the clothing front – we all still have good
reserves for the final part of the trip, should mean we arrive back in
muscat in reasonanly clean clothes ( all things are relaitive) and I hope to
have had a tropical shower shower, as i am sure we all smell a little bit
fruity by now. You know this because when you use the washing up liquid is
smells super fresh !
anyway another 24-36 hours of thsi then we’ll have some downwind fun.
Weather Router’s advice:
From: Commanders’ Weather
To: Musandam
Subject: weather Wed 3-4
Date: 04/03/2009 13:39:03
To: Charles Darbyshire and the crew of
ìMusandamî
From: Commanders Weather Corp
Event: sail around the world
Last Position: 40 25s/47 42e at 1130utc Wed, Mar 4
Prepared: 1330utc Wed, March 4, 2009
SummaryÖExpect significant improvement next 24 hours
1) High pressure centered to your E near 39s/63e will continue to shift
eastward and weaken.
2) Frontal boundary to your W is over to 45e at your latitude and will
continue eastward likely
overtaking you around 12 utc Thu.
3) Winds/seas with this front will be significantly stronger S of 40s and
much less north of 40s.
a) So recommending you edge northward as your winds back
thru NW next 12-24 hrs.
b) Could be a squally shower with the frontal passage.
4) Winds following the front will shift to S-SE and initially will be on the
light side as the high
following the front expands NE toward you.
5) This high will be centered near 42s/45e at 12 utc Fri then track E to
near 41s/52e by 12 utc Sun.
6) 6 utc GFS model not as strong with your SE wind regime over the
weekend(as it looked yesterday)
but does build the wind into the 20 kt range by Sunday.
7) Winds likely will diminish as you approach and get north of 15s early
next week.
8) Then the fun starts getting thru the Doldrums.
RoutingÖRecommend some northing next 24 hours as front will be stronger S of
40s and weaker
S of 40s.
Once into increasing SE winds by the weekend can aim for
your waypoint 450 miles E of
Reunion (21s/63e)
Estimated positions below.
Wind directions are TRUE, wind speed in kts, and time is UTC
Wed, Mar 4
18: 330-350/25-35 g 40
WeatherÖPartly to mostly cloudy.
SeasÖ12-18 ft
Thu, Mar 5
00: 320-340/22-32
06: 300-320/25-18 – winds diminish
12: 280-240/ 15-20, nr 38 30s/55 30e Front passing thru
18: 200-160/ 8-15 ñ winds very light to your NE and stronger to your S-SW
WeatherÖPartly to mostly cloudy with a few squally showers possible.
SeasÖ NW-N diminishing to 6-9 feet with an increasing SW swell.
Fri, Mar 6 ñ SE trades fill in
00: 160-180/ 8-15
06: 140-160/15-20
12: 130-150/12-17, nr 35s/60e
18: 120-140/15-20
Weather…Variable cloudiness , scattered shower or 2 possible
Seas… 4-7 ft
Sat, Mar 7
00: 100-120/12-17
06: 100-120/12-17
12: 110-130/12-17, nr 30s/62 30e
18: 110-130/12-17
WeatherÖPartly cloudy, maybe a brief squally trade shower possible.
SeasÖ 6-9 ft
Sun, Mar 8
00: 100-120/ 15-20
06: 110-130/ 17-22
12: 120-140/ 17-22 nr 24s/ 63e
18: 110-130/ 15-20
WeatherÖVariable cloudiness with brief squally trade wind shower possible
SeasÖ6-10 ft
Mon, Mar 9
00: 100-120/ 17-22
12: 090-110/ 12-17
WeatherÖVariable cloudiness with brief squally trade wind shower possible.
SeasÖ6-9 ft
Best regards, Tom Mattus
—
PLEASE NOTE: AS OF JANUARY 1, 2008, OUR NEW EMAIL ADDRESS IS :
info@commandersweather.com
Commanders Weather Corp.
Tel: 603-882-6789
To: Musandam
Subject: weather Wed 3-4
Date: 04/03/2009 13:39:03
To: Charles Darbyshire and the crew of
ìMusandamî
From: Commanders Weather Corp
Event: sail around the world
Last Position: 40 25s/47 42e at 1130utc Wed, Mar 4
Prepared: 1330utc Wed, March 4, 2009
SummaryÖExpect significant improvement next 24 hours
1) High pressure centered to your E near 39s/63e will continue to shift
eastward and weaken.
2) Frontal boundary to your W is over to 45e at your latitude and will
continue eastward likely
overtaking you around 12 utc Thu.
3) Winds/seas with this front will be significantly stronger S of 40s and
much less north of 40s.
a) So recommending you edge northward as your winds back
thru NW next 12-24 hrs.
b) Could be a squally shower with the frontal passage.
4) Winds following the front will shift to S-SE and initially will be on the
light side as the high
following the front expands NE toward you.
5) This high will be centered near 42s/45e at 12 utc Fri then track E to
near 41s/52e by 12 utc Sun.
6) 6 utc GFS model not as strong with your SE wind regime over the
weekend(as it looked yesterday)
but does build the wind into the 20 kt range by Sunday.
7) Winds likely will diminish as you approach and get north of 15s early
next week.
8) Then the fun starts getting thru the Doldrums.
RoutingÖRecommend some northing next 24 hours as front will be stronger S of
40s and weaker
S of 40s.
Once into increasing SE winds by the weekend can aim for
your waypoint 450 miles E of
Reunion (21s/63e)
Estimated positions below.
Wind directions are TRUE, wind speed in kts, and time is UTC
Wed, Mar 4
18: 330-350/25-35 g 40
WeatherÖPartly to mostly cloudy.
SeasÖ12-18 ft
Thu, Mar 5
00: 320-340/22-32
06: 300-320/25-18 – winds diminish
12: 280-240/ 15-20, nr 38 30s/55 30e Front passing thru
18: 200-160/ 8-15 ñ winds very light to your NE and stronger to your S-SW
WeatherÖPartly to mostly cloudy with a few squally showers possible.
SeasÖ NW-N diminishing to 6-9 feet with an increasing SW swell.
Fri, Mar 6 ñ SE trades fill in
00: 160-180/ 8-15
06: 140-160/15-20
12: 130-150/12-17, nr 35s/60e
18: 120-140/15-20
Weather…Variable cloudiness , scattered shower or 2 possible
Seas… 4-7 ft
Sat, Mar 7
00: 100-120/12-17
06: 100-120/12-17
12: 110-130/12-17, nr 30s/62 30e
18: 110-130/12-17
WeatherÖPartly cloudy, maybe a brief squally trade shower possible.
SeasÖ 6-9 ft
Sun, Mar 8
00: 100-120/ 15-20
06: 110-130/ 17-22
12: 120-140/ 17-22 nr 24s/ 63e
18: 110-130/ 15-20
WeatherÖVariable cloudiness with brief squally trade wind shower possible
SeasÖ6-10 ft
Mon, Mar 9
00: 100-120/ 17-22
12: 090-110/ 12-17
WeatherÖVariable cloudiness with brief squally trade wind shower possible.
SeasÖ6-9 ft
Best regards, Tom Mattus
—
PLEASE NOTE: AS OF JANUARY 1, 2008, OUR NEW EMAIL ADDRESS IS :
info@commandersweather.com
Commanders Weather Corp.
Tel: 603-882-6789
A selection of pictures from today: